特朗普“撤资”世卫引众怒 全球新冠肺炎确诊破200万
根据美国约翰斯·霍普金斯大学的实时统计数据,截至北京时间15日晚9时44分,全球新冠肺炎确诊病例已突破200万例,死亡超12.8万例。
作为全球疫情最严重的国家之一,目前美国新冠肺炎的确诊病例超过60万例,死亡人数超过26000人。
全球病例从破百万到现在突破200万,只用了十来天的时间,全球抗“疫”局势依然紧张。
但即使是如此局势,也没能阻止一些人在致力“甩锅”的路上越走越远。
在当地时间14日的白宫记者会上,美国总统特朗普指责世界卫生组织(WHO)没有及时分享疫情信息,没有及时提供防疫政策建议,没有及时宣布“全球大流行”,并宣布美国将暂停资助WHO。
U.S. President Donald Trump has instructed his administration to halt funding to the World Health Organization (WHO) over its handling of the coronavirus pandemic while a review of its response to the global crisis is undertaken.
Trump, at a White House news conference on Tuesday, said the WHO had "failed in its basic duty and it must be held accountable."
特朗普责怪WHO“以中国为中心”,帮助宣传了中国关于新冠病毒的“虚假信息”,并声称这可能导致比其他情况下更大范围的疫情暴发。
特朗普表示,美国政府正在推动一项针对世卫组织的调查,涵盖WHO“是否严重管理不当以及在掩盖新冠病毒传播方面所扮演的角色”。在调查期间,美国将暂停对WHO提供拨款。
而根据美国国务院的数据,美国在2019年对WHO的捐款超过4亿美元。
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during the daily briefing on the novel coronavirus in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, D.C., April 14, 2020. /AFP
Calling the UN body "China-centric," Trump said the WHO had promoted China's "disinformation" about the virus and claimed that likely led to a wider outbreak than otherwise would have occurred.
He also accused the WHO of "severely mismanaging and covering up" the crisis, saying the U.S. "has a duty to insist on full accountability."
The WHO had used "America's generosity," Trump argued, adding that his government will conduct a "very thorough investigation" over the next 60-90 days and review any mistakes the organization has made.
U.S. contributions to WHO in 2019 exceeded 400 million U.S. dollars, according to figures from the U.S. State Department.
特朗普的这一决定几乎是立刻招致了各方批评。
在特朗普宣布“撤资”之后,中方敦促美国履行其对WHO的义务。
中国外交部发言人赵立坚在15日的例行记者会上表示,中方对美方宣布暂停资助世界卫生组织表示严重关切。作为全球公共卫生安全领域最权威、最专业的国际机构,世卫组织在应对全球公共卫生危机方面发挥着不可替代的作用。尤其是新冠肺炎疫情发生以来,世卫组织在谭德赛总干事带领下,积极履行自身职责,为推动国际抗疫合作发挥了中心协调作用,得到国际社会普遍认可和高度赞誉。
Foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told reporters during a daily briefing that the situation with the pandemic, which has infected nearly 2 million people globally, was at a critical stage and that the U.S.' decision would affect all countries of the world, especially the weak countries.
Zhao urged the U.S. to fulfill its obligation and support the WHO's leading role in promoting world cooperation. He stressed that China will continue to support the WHO and play its role in promoting global health and fighting the pandemic.
国联合国秘书长古特雷斯也在14日的视频讲话中表示,WHO必须得到支持,这对全球战胜新冠疫情的努力绝对关键,现在不是削减WHO或任何其他人道主义组织抗击新冠病毒行动资源的时候。
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on Tuesday it was "not the time" to reduce resources for the World Health Organization after President Donald Trump halted U.S. funding over the body's handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
Guterres said in a statement it was "not the time to reduce the resources for the operations of the World Health Organization or any other humanitarian organization in the fight against the virus."
美国医学会主席帕特里斯·哈里斯博士称,特朗普“朝着错误方向迈出了危险一步,这不会让击败新冠肺炎变得更容易”,并敦促特朗普重新考虑这个决定。
Tuesday's announcement drew immediate condemnation. American Medical Association President Dr. Patrice Harris called it "a dangerous step in the wrong direction that will not make defeating COVID-19 easier" and urged Trump to reconsider.
《纽约时报》刊登评论文章称,特朗普“甩锅”WHO的做法,只是在转嫁自己因抗“疫”不力受到的批评。最新的民调显示,有更多的美国人对特朗普应对新冠病毒的措施感到不满。
The attack on the W.H.O., which was founded after World War II as part of the United Nations “to promote and protect the health of all peoples,” was the latest example of the president’s attempt to shift the blame throughout the crisis.
文中指出,特朗普指责WHO过于相信并帮助传播了来自中国的“错误信息”,但事实上,在疫情暴发之初,特朗普本人特意公开并反复赞扬过中国政府对新冠病毒的处理。
On Jan. 24, about a month after the virus was discovered there, Mr. Trump tweeted: “China has been working very hard to contain the Coronavirus. The United States greatly appreciates their efforts and transparency.”
自特朗普上任以来,美国已先后退出了联合国人权理事会、联合国教科文组织、万国邮政联盟、巴黎气候变化协定等国际组织。
虽然特朗普宣布将暂停对WHO的资助,但他表示,美国目前将保持与该组织的合作。
But the president, who has quit the U.N. Human Rights Council, the U.N. cultural agency UNESCO and a global accord to tackle climate change, said the U.S. would continue to engage with the organization.